


If You Love Something Set It Free

by kaijusizefeels



Series: If You Love Something Set It Free [1]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Gen, Implied Slash, Inspired by Art, M/M, that damned watch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-26 20:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10794381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaijusizefeels/pseuds/kaijusizefeels
Summary: Based on Bryonyashley's lovelyprompt: "Illya has been kidnapped and found unconscious by the side of a road in a city far away. He is without memory of his past and the only thing the police finds on him is a note with U.N.C.L.E. written on it."





	If You Love Something Set It Free

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bryonyashley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bryonyashley/gifts).



> Unbetaed so all mistakes are mine. Would someone like to beta for me? I don't write often so it's not much work :D
> 
> Also, how does one write an amnesic!character from that person's perspective? Like Illya doesn't know he is 'Illya' but I can't constantly be referring to him as 'he'.

Four hours after he wakes up, a handsome man in an expensive suit comes by to see him, leather briefcase in hand.

“Good morning,” he says with a charming smile. “Doing okay?”

Illya nods quietly. He does not recognize this man, but there is something about him, an intangible veneer, that makes him immediately suspicious. Maybe it’s the way the man’s initial smile looks like a grimace.

“Do I know you?” He asks eventually.

“We’ve worked together, from time to time,” is the nonchalant answer.

“Now.” The man drops his briefcase on the bed space next to Illya's feet, bending over to unclasp the locks, trunk lid hiding his face from Illya’s vantage point. “The doctors tell me that you don’t seem to recall any memories. Don’t worry Mr. Ludlum, we will — “

"That is my name?”

The man looks up and gives him another smile. “Yes, that’s right, Mr. Elijah Ludlum.”

Illya frowns.

“It’s not your birth name of course. You were born P-Pavel Arkadyevich Karenin. Your parents, father, Arkady Nickovitch Karenin, an architect, and mother, Maria Alexandrovna Karenina, a nurse, defected to the United States when you were only nine years old. But you never lost your Russian accent, I’m afraid. Unfortunately, your parents passed away more or less around the same time a decade ago,” the man pauses, blue eyes staring intently at him, clearly looking for a reaction or the spark of memory.

Illya can only shrug with disappointment. 

"You’ve been with us for the past five years."

"Us?"

"You're an engineer at Kessler & McPherson, formally called United National Chemical, Lighting, and Electronics. U.N.C.L.E.,” he chuckles. "They've finally decided that the acronym was too silly and changed the name. The card they found with you was an out of date business card."

“Now," he hands over a thick folder of documents to Illya, "your papers. The deeds to your house and car, your bank statements, passport, driver license, voter's registration, medical records, school records, even your annual performance reviews."

Illya takes the sum of his life from the well-dressed man in silence. “Thank you,” he mutters quietly as the man steps away from him to look out the little window beside his bed. It's not much of a view.

"I was told that you were involved in a work related accident. The board of K&M is very keen to avoid any bad press or future lawsuits."

Illya shifts to study the man's classically handsome profile as he stares intently out at the sky.

"I have been authorized to tell you that Kessler & McPherson is willing to provide you an upfront compensation of $15,000 and a comfortable biannual allowance after that. Anywhere you want to go, Mr. Ludlum. Anything you want to do."

Illya thinks the man sounds wistful, but his shoulders are relaxed and even. He holds Illya's gaze steadily as he turns away from the window and asks, "is that sufficient Mr. Ludlum?"

Illya swallows and nods. He ignores the unbidden urge to reach out to the stranger.

"Excellent, Mr. Ludlum." For the briefest of moments, the man seems to hesitate, or perhaps that was Illya's imagination. He comes back to Illya's side and pulls out an ordinary wristwatch from his briefcase.

"Your father's." He says softly holding it up for Illya to examine. The man's fingers are quick but gentle as he wraps the buttery soft leather strap around Illya's wrist and then feeds the tang buckle, bypassing a well-worn eyelet, to another so that the watch sits snuggly. 

The man's hands are calloused, knuckles scarred. Noticing Illya's stare, "accidents," he hurriedly explains. "My friend has always said that I'm rather trouble prone." He smooths down the watch along Illya's wrist with a tender expression and steps away again.

"If you have any questions, day or night," he hands Illya a business card, printed on thick stock paper, adorned with crisp, bold texts bearing the name Kessler & McPherson and a contact number.

The man gathers his briefcase to leave but stops right before the threshold. “I doubt we will see each other again, Mr. Ludlum," he says in a deliberate manner as if having to adjust to the words. "Good luck with the rest of your life," he nods slightly in acknowledgment and gently closes the door after his exit.

Illya falls back into his pillow, dropping all the papers to the side. The watch sits heavily on his left wrist.

What a strange exchange, he thinks as he draws in a deep breath, then realizes that he never got the chance to ask for the man's name.

**Author's Note:**

> Did some googling for this. In case anyone is interested: 1) $15,000 in the 1960s is about $123,000 in 2017. 2) Russian naming convention is name + patronymic (a variation of the father's name) + family name. Is there a culture that uses matronymic or both instead?

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [【授权翻译】若深爱，便许他自由](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11449929) by [adaemmait](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adaemmait/pseuds/adaemmait)




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